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A Well-Oiled Machine!

I am still taken aback by the ease with which the 2012 Experience flowed. Leaving the factory open most of the time (allowing people to spread-out inside the factory as well as the outside grounds) was a great idea. It never felt too crowded, despite the notable crowd. PRS has definitely got this event figured out.

The Lounge area in the schwag tent was brilliant! There were some fierce Foosball tournaments and some happy kids. I felt bad when Shawn and I had to give 'em the smack down. Who knew 10 and 11-year-old kids were so good at trash-talk?!?! And the giant bean-bags were a life-saver. This was the best part of EXP2012 (for me).

It seems like guitars and amps were flying off the shelves. Every time I turned around, someone was coming up to me to open a guitar case. It was awesome!

I want to offer one more "THANK YOU" to the PRS company for putting this on again. It keeps getting better and better.

I also want to extend a special thank you to Jamie, Wilerty, Markie, and 3-Mike. My wallet fell out of a hole in my pocket. I lost credit cards, all of my ID, and all my cash. I hope whoever kept the wallet gets caught with it in their possession. Given what was in there, it will be a long prison sentence. Anyway... Jamie picked me up, chopped on my jacked-up toes, changed my bandages 2 days later, and took me back to the airport. Wilerty gave me a lift and shared some Scotch. Markie gave me some cash and some emotional support (In the wood library and otherwise), and 3-Mike drove me back to the factory in the middle of the night and helped me search the PRS factory. We looked under tables, in dumpsters, in the trash cans, and even in the porta-potties until almost 3AM. My wallet was never recovered by my faith in people is as strong as ever.

It was a wonderful weekend and I made a few new friends while strengthening existing friendships. I also had the chance to mend some fences.

The Lounge area in the schwag tent was brilliant! There were some fierce Foosball tournaments and some happy kids. I felt bad when Shawn and I had to give 'em the smack down. Who knew 10 and 11-year-old kids were so good at trash-talk?!?! And the giant bean-bags were a life-saver. This was the best part of EXP2012 (for me).

I will have my revenge for the foozball beatdown of 2012!!!!

>:-(

Really enjoyed finally getting to meet you, total bummer on the wallet...

Right you are my friend, loved how everything was set up. I was so bummed when you got to the hotel & realized it was gone Maybe it'll somehow, someway turn up somewhere and if someone took it I hope they get busted. On a much lighter note - it was great meeting you and everyone else I met over the weekend. I was treated like family from everyone there. Such a blast!

That sweet young lady wanted to play and those stinky boys wouldn't let her join one of them for the next round. In this photo, I was promising her that we were going to give her the table after we whooped those kids. Which we did. But it was close!

They were ignoring the no spinning rule so we were too. It was too hap-hazard. We were losing. We huddled, set a strategy, walked back to the table, changed the pace of the game, controlled the ball, and whooped their little punk asses!

That victory was so sweet. Grown men have nothing on the trash talk that was dished by those kids. It was a blast. Absolutely a highlight!

You are a chivalrous gentleman, Hans. But we already knew that. In the immortal words of Markie, you, sir, fuggin' ROCK!

I've been to many a corporate event in my time and this one was VERY nice. Not 'hookers and champagne towers' nice, but classy and cool. It was a stellar PR event and the stories of the 'above and beyond' efforts by Doug Sewell and many other PRS people left me tremendously impressed. Just when you didn't think it was possible, PRS steps up one more rung on the ladder of awesome.

Well, I wish you'd had better luck on your search, Hans. But other than that, what a wonderful weekend - apologies if I'm repeating some things here. My wife made several comments through the events, like "It's nice to see you so happy" and "No wonder you love coming to this every year". I truly enjoyed my first lobby hang, although I felt like a bit of an outsider at first. I do wish I'd had the confidence to play more than a few notes on Jamie's acoustic - that's a beaut. And what a wonderfully ego-free weekend - I don't think I witnessed a single display of attitude from anybody.

Something else that crossed my mind during the weekend - we talk a lot about how much we appreciate how well the employees treat us, but in six years attending these things, I don't think I've seen an employee ever show signs of impatience or frustration with one of the guests. It hadn't struck me before, but for some reason it hit me this time, even though I'm sure they've been hit with some ridiculous questions or requests. I talked to one of the security guards upstairs on Saturday, and he said ExpPRS is the easiest gig he does all year. There are a couple of those guys that I talk to each year now. And that's another thing - my wife teased me about how sociable I am at Experience. But I guess you can't be unsociable all the time.

Line of the weekend from my wife - we were taking a few purchases out to the van, and I ran into a guy I know online and talked to in person last year. When I was done, I looked around and found her outside Tent A, where one of the jam sessions was going on. It was when the kid was tearing up Hendrix - you should have seen the expression on Nicky Moroch's face. I walked up to her, and my wonderful wife of 25 years, the mother of my children, my supposed biggest supporter, looked at me and said...

"I love you dearly, but this 13-year-old puts you to shame."

Which she claims is a compliment, but I think it's damning with faint praise - after all, that bar is set more for a limbo contest than pole vaulting!

How long until next one???

Alan

"I watched approximately 45 seconds of 'Rock Of Ages'. It was like getting punched in the soul." - Abby Krizner

Hans its a drag about your wallet but i'm happy to hear you made it home even if you limped all the way there.. ;-)

My first Experience was a great one!!! Met lots of great people made some new solid friends and of course spent time with my old buddies which was the highlight I really had no idea what to expect so all day thursday i really just sat back and took it all in.... from the effortless ease of the staff and the cool swag lounge/ foosball arena, factory the amount of guitar porn was overwhelming!!!

BTW me and Duayer almost pulled off the big comeback upset against you and Shawn...LOL Had a blast man!!!

So anyway just enjoying the last few hours with Duayer before i pack him back on the plane back to Brazil... we had a blast!!! Shawn always too short bra!

Hans its a drag about your wallet but i'm happy to hear you made it home even if you limped all the way there.. ;-)

My first Experience was a great one!!! Met lots of great people made some new solid friends and of course spent time with my old buddies which was the highlight I really had no idea what to expect so all day thursday i really just sat back and took it all in.... from the effortless ease of the staff and the cool swag lounge/ foosball arena, factory the amount of guitar porn was overwhelming!!!

BTW me and Duayer almost pulled off the big comeback upset against you and Shawn...LOL Had a blast man!!!

So anyway just enjoying the last few hours with Duayer before i pack him back on the plane back to Brazil... we had a blast!!! Shawn always too short bra!

VB

Welcome to the forum Chef and thanks for hanging out at the Experience! I'm still not convinced that there isn't a warrant out for your arrest in the state of Maryland.